iHop
by Yanagi-wa
Summary: Final in the Night Patrol trilogy. After a night in jail, our guys really want pancakes.


The waitress looked up when the three men came in. They were young but they wore Preventers uniforms like they deserved them. She was pleased that they sat in her station.

"Ok, guys, what'll it be?"

She didn't even blink when they ordered nearly everything on the menu. She just raised an eyebrow and said, "Sorry, but, if you're going to order that much food, I have to see proof of payment."

Wufei just handed her the credit card. She took it and swiped it through her reader. The reader dinged softly, telling her that it was good.

On the other end of town, Une got a message on her computer that the card had been used at the Ihop. She blinked a bit at the amount but didn't deny it.

"Ok, guys, the card is good. I'll turn this in ... it'll be about twenty minutes. Coffee?"

Wufei shook his head. "No, I thank you. Either tea or juice."

"Winnie's my name. Frankly, the tea is terrible. So, orange, apple, or grapefruit."

"Grapefruit. Thank you."

Duo smiled at Winnie. "Hi, Winnie, coffee, black."

Winnie turned to Heero. "And you?"

"Coffee, light. And water."

"Ok, got it. Be back with your drinks in a flash."

Wufei sighed in relief when she left, Duo was so obviously bursting to say something. Something important.

"Very well, Maxwell, spit it out."

"OK. One, why do you keep calling me Maxwell, my friends call me Duo." Wufei grimaced. "Look, you made a remark about me just tolerating you. So, we need to figure this out. You're my friend, just like all the others are but you never seem to ... I don't understand how you can say I just tolerate you. I've done everything I can think of to show you that we're friends but you still ... I just don't understand." Duo reached out to touch Wufei's hand, he flinched almost imperceptibly. Duo just exclaimed, "See! That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why did you flinch? I've never hurt you. I've never ..."

Wufei blinked. He'd never noticed that he did that before. "I never noticed! That's very strange. I don't dislike your touch. I wasn't raised to touch very much. No hugging or such, it wasn't ... proper."

Duo nodded his understanding. "Oh, I see. I guess I'm the touchy-feely sort. I like hugging and just touching. A hand on yours, or your shoulder, but you always flinch away like you don't like to be touched. That always puts me off a bit. I always feel like I'm a bother or something. I kinda got the habit of keeping my distance some. I don't want to offend you."

"Then quit mangling my name. It's disrespectful. And irritating. I had enough trouble with the idiots at my school."

Duo held up a hand. "Well, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. If you'd told me sooner that bullies had pissed you off with nicknames, I'd have quit right away. I apologize."

Wufei realized that he'd never mentioned the reason he hated nicknames before. "And I also. I think, if I'd told you sooner, you'd never have done it again. So we reach a compromise. I don't mind 'Fei. But I really despise Woo-woo."

Duo grinned. "Ok. 'Fei, good; Woo-woo, bad. Got it. Anything else I do that really gets too you? I really want you to understand that you are my friend. You can say almost anything to me, you know."

Wufei looked a bit surprised. "Really? I didn't know that. You tend to...um...shut me out a lot."

Duo gave Wufei a wry smile. "Only when you get started on one of your justice rants. I can't stand those. The only justice there is is what you make for yourself. Or what we can make."

Wufei raised one eyebrow. "Oh, I see. And just why do you shut me out? I thought you agreed with me."

"You're preaching to the choir. I agree wholeheartedly, but I don't need to hear the same thing over and over again. If you'd say something new and different, I'd listen."

Wufei thought about that one for a moment then nodded. "I see. I'll try to keep my ranting to a minimum."

Duo nodded gently. "See? We're already getting along better. A-ha! Food, at last"

This last exclamation was incited by the waitress returning with a huge tray full of food. She started dishing out the plates with a smile. "Ok, who's got what. There's so much here, I'm not sure."

Heero just smiled at her. "Just stick it where ever it'll fit. We just ordered sort of randomly. But the steak is mine."

Duo snorted. "Yeah, and the ham steak is mine."

Wufei rubbed his stomach, grimacing. "I don't know how you can eat so much heavy meat this early in the morning. I'll probably have an upset stomach. And, Duo, those peach waffles are mine, and I'll fight you for them if I have to. Hand them over."

Duo laughed and put the plate down in front of Wufei, not even helping himself to a taste of the whipped cream. "There. They look really good. Enjoy."

Wufei nodded his thanks and cut into the waffle. He carefully speared the chunk and used it to scoop up some of the whipped cream. He put the bite into his mouth and hummed in appreciation.

Heero blinked, neither he nor Duo had ever heard him make such a sound before.

Wufei smirked at them. "What? I can't enjoy something? I love peaches. Mother used to give me one when I'd been exceptionally good. A small thing, but there you are." Duo realized that this was a major confession and smiled at Wufei.

"You know, I never even saw a peach until after the wars. Some lady had family in the barracks. She brought in a peach pan dowdy. It was really good. I only got a bite because there were so many of us, but I'll never forget it."

Heero nodded. "I remember. I thought you were going to pass out for a second. The look on your face was just plain weird."

Duo just stuck his tongue out at Heero and went back to his ham. Wufei flicked his eyes from one man to the other. Duo noticed and asked, around a mouth full of ham, "Ok, what was that look for?"

"Why do you do that? You're nearly twenty years old and you still pull childish pranks like that."

Duo chewed for a moment then shrugged. "I guess I do it because, when I was a child, I didn't dare. I'd have gotten eaten alive. The streets are no place for fooling around."

Wufei felt his heart constrict, Duo hadn't had a real childhood, he'd spent the first years of his life struggling to stay alive, he'd really never had a chance to play or just be silly. Now that it was safe he seemed to be making up for lost time. Wufei sighed internally as he realized the many times he'd been a 'wet blanket' on Duo's pranks.

"I see. It seems that I have misjudged you in many ways. I apologize."

Duo laughed gently. "Ok, 'Fei. Here, have some fruit salad, I ordered it special, just for you. And I made sure that they didn't goop it up with mayo or whipped cream. Good?"

Wufei accepted the bowl and took a spoonful, many of the dishes had come family style, this was one of them. "Thank you. I'm grateful." Wufei speared a chunk of mango and nibbled at it. "Very good. You should have some too."

Duo took a very small spoon of the salad, plopping it on his plate with a small grimace. "I'm not too fond of ... green stuff. I know it's good for me and I know I should eat it but I can never convince myself that it's not rotten."

Wufei sighed again. "Well, another misconception ... popped. I thought you just didn't like vegetables."

"I like them fine, when I'm sure they're fresh. And don't tell me they're fresh in a restaurant, have you really looked at some of the kitchens we've gone through on assignment with Relena? Ick!"

Wufei had to agree with that statement. "Yes, disgusting."

Heero nodded in agreement. "It is, I can't believe that some people will let their kitchens get like that."

Heero helped himself to some toast from the common platter, Duo passed him a pat of butter wrapped in foil. After buttering his toast, Heero announced, "We've got communication, what next?"

Duo smirked. "Bonding. But how?"

Wufei didn't bother to pretend he didn't know what they were talking about, he wanted to confirm his friendship with Duo and Heero as much as they did. He had to admit he missed their missions together. Now that they were all Special Agents they never got to go on missions together. Une only let two of them partner at any one time. She said it was a waste of resources.

Heero rolled his eyes. "Oh, damn, the mighty prankster strikes again. What now?"

Duo shook his head. "I don't have a clue. I'm still just tired enough that all I can think of is filling her locker full of fire suppressant foam. Not real original."

Wufei absently felt in his pocket, he still had the credit card Une had given him. He glanced at Heero then Duo, his smirk made Duo go, "Uh-oh! I like that look." He picked up his coffee cup to take a sip.

Wufei calmly announced. "I feel the need for a gold plated cock ring." Duo choked on his coffee. "I think a trip to Samantha's Sex-capades is in order." Duo's eyes got round, Heero made a snuffling sound. Wufei gave them both an evil grin. "I have Une's personal Preventers issued credit card."


End file.
